Tag: MHDD National Training Center

Kristen wearing a black and white gingham shirt smiling in front of a tree trunk. She has long, blonde hair and is wearing berry lipstick

Dahl to Co-Chair AUCD Special Interest Group

Posted on | by Beth Potter

Kristen Dahl, LPCC, CHES, has been selected to co-Chair the Mental Health Aspects of I/DD Special Interest Group of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). This group provides information on critical issues related to mental health for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). Their vision is to promote inclusion and belonging for all people with IDD and MH needs. Learn more about this group and their resources on AUCD’s website.  

Kristen is the Senior Program Manager for the Mental Health Developmental Disabilities (MHDD) National Training Center.  The MHDD National Training Center is a collaboration between the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the University of Kentucky, University of Alaska Anchorage, and Utah State University. Established in 2018 through funding provided by the Administration for Community Living, they work to improve mental health services and supports for people with developmental disabilities. By serving as a national clearinghouse, we help provide access to the most current evidence-based, trauma-informed, culturally responsive practices that address the mental health needs of individuals with developmental disabilities.

Contact Kristen.Dahl@uky.edu for more information.

5 people standing in a training room

Human Development Institute expands capacity with StoryCorps Facilitation Training

Posted on | by Beth Potter

Staff representing the UK Human Development Institute (HDI) recently completed training to expand their capacity to capture and deliver digital stories. Staff from HDI along with partners at Utah State University participated in a six-hour D.I.Y. facilitator training with StoryCorps. Through this training, staff gained an understanding of the facilitation method, interview best practices, and an understanding of the archival process. The model will be replicated in the story collection efforts of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities National Training Center. This center is an HDI project and partnership between the University of Kentucky, Utah State University, and the University of Alaska – Anchorage.
HDI has a long history of sharing the lived experiences of people with disabilities. The information gained in the training will be used across HDI projects. Using the StoryCorps facilitation model, project staff formalize these efforts to collect, archive, and centralize stories for use by staff, partners, and the public. A unique angle of this the digital story collection efforts at HDI is the use of self-advocates to conduct interviews. Patti Singleton, Professional Learning Coordinator, explains that HDI is currently exploring and refining this process, which will allow for collaboration with partners, and other UK colleges and departments.
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